Previously released only in Japan, Saturnight: Live in Tokyo is a stunning live album that captures Cat Stevens in top form during his 1974 “Bamboozle Tour.” For its 50th anniversary, Cat-O-Log Records/UMe is giving this rare gem a global release for the first time on vinyl, CD and digital streaming. The vinyl is pressed on 140-gram black vinyl housed in a gatefold sleeve with liner notes from bassist Bruce Lynch and the band’s 1974 tour manager Carl Miller. Recorded at Tokyo’s Nakano Sun Plaza Hall on June 22, the set offers a crisp, unembellished portrait of a songwriter whose music was already deeply embedded in the global consciousness. There’s no fanfare, no overblown production, just a tight, thoughtful performance that reminds you how much emotional power Stevens could summon with his voice and tight band behind him.
The performance opens with “Wild World,” instantly setting the mood. There’s an ease to his delivery that draws the audience in, especially on tracks like “Sitting” and “Where Do the Children Play?” which carry a slightly more introspective weight in the live setting. His band is subtle but tight, supporting him without ever crowding the spotlight. The overall sound is clean and close—well-mixed and intimate, even by the standards of the era’s best live records. At this point in his career, Stevens had racked up a string of international hits and was fresh off the release of Buddha and the Chocolate Box. That album’s reflective tone carries into Saturnight, with new material like “Oh Very Young,” “A Bad Penny,” and “King of Trees” seamlessly folded into a setlist full of early-‘70s staples. “Oh Very Young” is delivered with almost aching restraint, and “A Bad Penny” becomes a highlight with its winding melody and minor-key undercurrents landing even harder live than on the studio version.
Stevens digs into earlier material too, pulling “Lady D’Arbanville” from Mona Bone Jakon and giving it a darker, more deliberate reading. “Hard Headed Woman” still swings, and “Father and Son” lands with quiet force. He doesn’t lean into theatricality or oversing; instead, he lets the song speak for itself, and the audience hangs on every line. A notable detour arrives in the form of “Another Saturday Night,” his cover of the Sam Cooke classic. Newly recorded in a Tokyo studio with a Japanese horn section, the live debut of the track brings a burst of energy into an otherwise restrained set. It’s slightly rawer than the later single version and adds a welcome lift without throwing off the mood. Closing with “Bitterblue,” Stevens ends on a stirring note—one of his most underrated tracks, and a perfect finale to a set that balances familiar songs with deeper cuts.
Saturnight might have been a Japan-only release due to label complications, but it doesn’t feel like a side project or contractual oddity. It’s a focused, beautifully recorded live album that showcases Stevens’ musicianship at a time when his voice, songwriting, and presence were all operating at a remarkably high level. The newly remastered material sounds impeccable on this vinyl release. In fact, it sounds so good that you can close your eyes and feel like you are sitting there 50 years ago, experiencing this master songwriter performing for forty-five minutes. This release is a must-have for any fan of Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam.
